Resources for Sexual Assault Victims4 min read

Rachel, a high school senior, was told by a teacher to “work it out” with the fellow student who raped her in the band room after school. Maricruz, an immigrant farm worker in the Salinas Valley, was fired by her employer for reporting a rape committed by her supervisor. And for the Riverside third-grader who was molested repeatedly by a classmate, the fear of his attacker prevented him from saying anything to any authorities for more than a year.

Even though more 207,000 people each year report being sexually assaulted or abused, victims of this crime repeatedly confess to a feeling of utter isolation in the midst of their trauma. It’s this feeling that keeps thousands more victims silent and thousands more sexual crimes unreported. Whether they don’t know the resources they have, are afraid of reprisal, or feel too much shame to come forward, the outcome is silence. And it allows perpetrators of sexual crimes to continue victimizing others while victims remain locked in a sense of helpless loneliness.

Jessica Pride is a San Diego attorney who understands the pain that these victims go through. That’s why she is committed to helping them overcome the shame and silence. Along with doing everything to bring perpetrators of sexual crime to justice, she offers a wealth of resources to victims to show them their rights and let them know they are not alone.

The Basics

If sexual activity occurred without your consent, it is considered assault. It does not matter:

What your gender is

What your attack’s gender is

Whether the attacker is related to you, or in a position of authority

How much you had to drink

What you were wearing

Anything about your sexual history, past or present

Sexual assault happens to all kinds of people, not to certain kinds of people. And certainly not just to you.

Someone is accountable for the wrong done to you, and it may not be only the perpetrator. Other people who may be held accountable are:

Property owners who are aware of dangerous conditions or persons on their property, but take no action to prevent it.

Parents who host a party where they watch underage drinking occur and an intoxicated teen is raped.

The criminal court justice system can and does sometimes fail victims of sexual assault. But that is not the end of the road. Jessica helps victims like you prosecute your case in civil court, to make sure that the person who violated you is held financially accountable for the damage they caused.

There is Hope — and Help

Coming forward about your situation does not mean you have to become a “spokesperson,” or be in the public eye at all. It simply means finding the resources you need to recover your life, while also helping protect others from being attacked the way you were. Here are some local resources that Jessica Pride recommends to sexual assault victims, who don’t know where to turn:

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Jessica Pride

Jessica Pride is a sexual assault attorney who has been helping survivors reclaim their power and heal from the tragedy of sexual assault for over 10 years. Speak with Jessica in a free, private consultation today.

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